Final-year student Mark from Etis: “My best memories from upper secondary school are the great teachers and their lessons"

Mark Pokidko is a final-year student at the Etelä-Tapiolan lukio upper secondary school. He is particularly pleased with the sense of community and excellent teachers at Etis. Upper secondary studies can be a valuable experience, even if you are not involved in every possible activity.

Mark Pokidko is studying his third year in the Etelä-Tapiolan lukio upper secondary school, also known as Etis, which means that this is his final year before the matriculation examination. Mark chose Etis because he had heard many positive things about the school in advance. “My father was working as a substitute teacher in the IB line and recommended Etis. The school's matriculation examination results are among the best in Finland, and the admission grade average is also high”, Mark lists the reasons behind his choice.

Mark completed comprehensive education in English, but he did not apply to the IB line at Etis where all teaching takes place in English. “At first, it was quite challenging to study in Finnish because I didn’t know some of the terminology. However, some teachers such as my biology teacher allowed me to write certain terms in English in the exams,” Mark explains.

Until the beginning of his third year at Etis, Mark was also a competitive swimmer. Sometimes he was forced to skip practices due to school, or he failed to complete mathematics assignments due to the swimming practices. At present, Mark coaches younger swimmers – but he might just get back in the water himself at a later time.

Mark praises the sense of community at Etis, which is something the school actually prides itself on. In fact, the well-known communal atmosphere at Etis is a result of systematic investments. According to Mark, the sense of community in Etis is stronger than in larger upper secondary schools. “I know all the students in my own class by name,” Mark says.

Many students are also active in other school activities besides the lessons, but Mark has not been a tutor or a member of the student union board, nor has he belonged to any club. "In hindsight, I probably should have become a tutor,” he says. Moreover, Mark has never been particularly active in student gatherings because he does not enjoy “partying”, but he has liked the various events organised at school. However, he now feels that he could have taken more actively part in all school activities.

Mark has particularly fond memories of the seniors’ ball: “It was the highlight of my upper secondary school years!”

Mark also has good memories of many wonderful teachers and their lessons. Mark's favourite subject at school has been biology. His favourite teacher is the school's history teacher Timo Holmström, who is the reason why Mark has taken every history course available at Etis. “The teacher has a major impact on learning,” Mark says.

If Mark could go back in time, he would focus more on his studies during the first year. “Information and knowledge accumulate in upper secondary school. Second-year information is based on knowledge from the first year, and the third year builds on knowledge obtained during the second year”, Mark points out. A lack of focus during the first year may lead to problems in the second year.

When choosing an upper secondary school, Mark advises ninth-graders to listen to the experiences of other students, and especially of people they know. It is also a good idea to participate in the presentation days to see the actual school environment and get a sense of the general atmosphere. Once the school starts, you should try to get to know new people. It is perfectly fine to spend time with old friends at first, but you should also be open to new acquaintances: “Some students may not know anyone in the school and feel a little frightened. Don’t hesitate to take the first step!” says Mark.

Mark will take the matriculation examination tests in biology and English in the autumn, and the rest in the spring. His ultimate goal is to study medicine after upper secondary school.